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OREM — For the second straight year, Utah’s top high school football player is headed to the Pacific Northwest.
Orem High standout Kingsley Suamataia has committed to the University of Oregon, the Tigers offensive lineman announced on his Instagram account, in a room full of family and friends inside an office complex in Lehi.
After thanking his parents, siblings, family and friends, including long-time high school and college performance coach Mike Stroshine, Suamataia announced his commitment.
"So with that being said, I would like to humbly and prayerfully announce that for the next 3-4 years, I will be furthering my education and football career at the University Of Oregon," he wrote.
Suamataia, a four-star offensive tackle and the No. 1-rated recruit in Utah, picked the Ducks over offers from Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida and a long list of suitors, including BYU, Utah and Utah State.
The No. 10-rated offensive tackle in the country by 247 Sports, Suamataia is the third top recruit from Utah in four years to commit to the Ducks, joining former Desert Hills tackle Penei Sewell and Orem linebacker Noah Sewell.
The older Sewell, Penei, who recently won the Outland Trophy given to the nation’s premier lineman, recently announced that he will opt out of the 2020 college football season to prepare for next April’s NFL Draft after just two complete seasons with the Ducks. An expected first-round pick, Sewell has the second-best odds to be selected No. 1 overall, behind only Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence.
The 6-foot-6, 309-pound Suamataia is a team captain for the 3-1 Tigers, who are arguably the favorite team to win the Class 5A state title for what would be the school’s fourth straight championship.
In addition to Suamataia, the Ducks also have a commitment from Corner Canyon center Jackson Light, the state’s fourth-best prospect rated by 247 Sports and second-best offensive lineman.
Another standout high school football player in Utah, Jeffrey Bassa of Kearns, announced Tuesday he has whittled down his college decision to three choices. The three-star athlete, standout safety and No. 7 overall player in the state will choose from Oregon, Utah and Oklahoma State after receiving offers from Arizona, Arizona State and Baylor, among others.
The Final 3. 🤞🏾 pic.twitter.com/k4AB2Cvcpx
— Jeffrey Bassa (@Bassa_21) September 9, 2020
